First off I'd highly recommend going into this game blind. Just know the review is mostly positive, and there may be some mild !SPOILERS! so if you choose to continue reading it, consider yourself warned.

Alkurai is an above average game with a lot of potential, as it takes a great and pretty unique approach to co-op horror. Its currently quite short and you can beat it in just a couple of hours with a couple of players, but this is expected as its still in early access.

Alkurai draws a lot of inspiration from popular games in the genre such as Dark Souls, & Labyrinthine, and it executes its ideas well! The level design is well thought out and deliberate, there are lots of shortcuts and the quests and puzzles are complex enough to challenge you without feeling overly cryptic, and the monsters are frightening, challenging to beat, but fair.
The quests are fun and fit the environment well. They are a welcome RPG element in a co-op horror game, something you don't see done often - if at all. All quest dialogs have full voice acting and for a relatively cheap early access game, its actually really well acted and written. Alkurai has a quest log, but the game doesn't hold your hand at all or use a map or mini-map to tell you where to go. Its also not very linear in its design, for the most part you can accomplish your objectives in any order you wish. You're left to your own devices and you don't know your main objective until later in the game which is great for suspense. The devs respect the intelligence of the player and let you figure things out on your own.

The monsters are decent as mentioned before, with the main baddie being an incredible addition. She's inspired by a certain beloved boss from a popular 2011 game with a unique twist that fits the artistic design of the world very well. She's unique and easily my favourite enemy from any co-op horror game I've ever played.

One area that is lacking is replay value. Its still early on in development so its hard to comment on, but it has to be said that as with a lot of story driven & puzzle games, you can only really experience them once.

As far as the horror, I think it nails a few of the things that make a good horror game:
- Areas that isolate you from the group,
- You feel defenceless. You cannot fight back, you must run or hide
- Creepy monsters and areas without feeling over the top or cliche.
- It doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares, in fact there are very few of them (I think 2?) and they are quite mild compared to the average horror game. No extreme loud eardrum breaking noises.
- The sound design is okay, nothing that stood out in a negative way. Could be better but definitely above average.

All in all, its a good pick-up, I'd say its worth the money. I'm definitely looking forward to more updates!

First off I'd highly recommend going into this game blind. Just know the review is mostly positive, and there may be some mild !SPOILERS! so if you choose to continue reading it, consider yourself warned. Alkurai is an above average game with a lot of potential, as it takes a great and pretty unique approach to co-op horror. Its currently quite short and you can beat it in just a couple of hours with a couple of players, but this is expected as its still in early access. Alkurai draws a lot of inspiration from popular games in the genre such as Dark Souls, & Labyrinthine, and it executes its ideas well! The level design is well thought out and deliberate, there are lots of shortcuts and the quests and puzzles are complex enough to challenge you without feeling overly cryptic, and the monsters are frightening, challenging to beat, but fair. The quests are fun and fit the environment well. They are a welcome RPG element in a co-op horror game, something you don't see done often - if at all. All quest dialogs have full voice acting and for a relatively cheap early access game, its actually really well acted and written. Alkurai has a quest log, but the game doesn't hold your hand at all or use a map or mini-map to tell you where to go. Its also not very linear in its design, for the most part you can accomplish your objectives in any order you wish. You're left to your own devices and you don't know your main objective until later in the game which is great for suspense. The devs respect the intelligence of the player and let you figure things out on your own. The monsters are decent as mentioned before, with the main baddie being an incredible addition. She's inspired by a certain beloved boss from a popular 2011 game with a unique twist that fits the artistic design of the world very well. She's unique and easily my favourite enemy from any co-op horror game I've ever played. One area that is lacking is replay value. Its still early on in development so its hard to comment on, but it has to be said that as with a lot of story driven & puzzle games, you can only really experience them once. As far as the horror, I think it nails a few of the things that make a good horror game: - Areas that isolate you from the group, - You feel defenceless. You cannot fight back, you must run or hide - Creepy monsters and areas without feeling over the top or cliche. - It doesn't rely on cheap jumpscares, in fact there are very few of them (I think 2?) and they are quite mild compared to the average horror game. No extreme loud eardrum breaking noises. - The sound design is okay, nothing that stood out in a negative way. Could be better but definitely above average. All in all, its a good pick-up, I'd say its worth the money. I'm definitely looking forward to more updates!